Homeopathic Materia Medica by Farrington

ARTEMISIA VULGARIS

(art-v)

ARTEMISIAVULGARIS, another member of the order Compositae, is a very serviceable remedy in epilepsy, when the attacks have been brought on by violent emotions, and especially by fright; when the attacks come in closely repeated seizures, that is to say, when there are several convulsions coming close together, and then a long interval of rest. The paroxysms are usually followed by sleep. Again, Artemisia vulgaris seems to be of some use in that form of epilepsy known as "LEPETITMAL." The patient is walking in the street, when, suddenly, he stops, stares into vacancy, mumbles a few words possibly, regains a normal condition, and then goes his way totally unconscious of anything unusual having elapsed.

Artemisia has, like other members of the order (CINA more prominently than any of the others), an effect on the eye. We find under the drug this symptom: "Colored light produces dizziness;" for example, when seated near a stained-glass window the patient becomes dizzy. In addition to this, it causes a well-developed asthenopia of this kind : On attempting to use the eyes the patient experiences pain in them, together with blurring of the vision, the latter symptom being momentarily relieved by rubbing the eyes. This is easily explained; the asthenopia is due to a muscular defect and error of accommodation. By rubbing the eyes, the accommodation is temporarily restored.